Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-01-29
The Church Fair

My son. give heed unto my words;
bend low thine ear that thou mayest
hear that which would say unto thee.
Envy not the church fair and covet
not the coffee that is sold therein, for
verify the church fair is a snare for the
unwary and trap for them that have
no guile.
For behold the young maidens and
the maidens that be ancient in years;
yea, also the dowagers of the congrega-
tion rise betimes and take counsel to-
gether, saying:
Behold, now has the time come
when we will please the shepherd of
the flock. Let us 90 then and have a
fair that will discount and knock all
other fairs cold and we will salt the
young men and the bald heads Of the
city and take from them their freshness
aud their shekels also"
And the young maidens and TIE
maidens that be as tough as spring
chicken, yea even the old dowagers,
gave lair and the young men and the
bald heads went thereunto with quicK-
ened step and beaming eye; yea, verify,
they went with many shekels in their
pockets and their best girl under their
arm. And their hearts were light and
they anticipated much merriment, but
the end was not yet.
For verify they returned from the
church fair with their FACILITATING hearts
and the look OF them that get left, and
they halted many times and felt for
their shekels and found them not.
For when the young man entereth
the room he fndeth the maidens, yea
even the maidens who follow in the
footsteps Of the godly, and who make
slippers and mufllers for the shepherd
of the sheep, lying in wait for him
that they may salt him.
And they nestle around him loving
ly and they entce him to drink of the
coffee that snflereth from weakness and
general debility. And the young man
hcarkened unto the voice OF the maid
Fnds and would that he also were q
sheep. Selah
And the maidens entice him yet
again and he eateth OF the OK which
was bald with age and was on the SUI
peranuated list many years.
Anu behold the nlaluons who be god
! l. go to him yet third and fourth
time, yea even many times and they
salt that you man.
For they oflereth him chance in {
rattle for pap bottle. And they dc
his with ten-inch smiles and much
flattery and the youth hearkeneth untC
them and buyetn chance tor one trade
shekel with hole in it, and payetl
thereof the price of three square meals
And the maidens who be the sheer
OF the shepherd know their business
and they come forth from their lair
and entertain that young man, and h
thinkelh II good thing TO be sheep
But the end is not yet.
AMI the young man buyeth OF al
that is set before HIM and hathno NOR,
shekels of gold or shekels Of silver
And then the maidens shrink from hin
and 90 merrily for another.
And behold / say unto you that tn
young man leaveth the fair with mucl
salt in him. And he essayeth to tax
stock of that which he hath bought
but findeth nothing. And he cursetl
the lar and lalleth from grace ant
wishes that he werea ghost
And he walketh home to his hasher,
with mucl ferceness in his heart ant
with the language of the wild troope
on his lips.
Ny son listen unto the words of tn
father and take heed unto his counse
Envy not the church fair nor then
: that delight therein, for verify as
first-cass swindle they can discount
,, faro bank.